Seven Mistakes
by rawrchelle
Summary: Team 7. Sasuke/Sakura. He is broken, so he breaks them, just to make himself feel better. But when he stumbles back, completely destroyed, he doesn’t understand why they’re still there.


**Title: **Seven Mistakes  
**Pairing: **Team 7, with a smidgen of SasukeSakura on the side.  
**Genre(s): **Friendship/Angst  
**Summary: **He is broken so he breaks them, just to make himself feel better. But when he stumbles back, completely destroyed, he doesn't understand why they're still there.  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **1344  
**Warning:** Angst? Yeah, sure. That's kind of common whenever Sasuke's around.

Disclaimed.  
read&review.

_

* * *

_

the first mistake: envy.

"Nii-san, come train with me!" Sasuke pouts, watching as Itachi puts on his shinobi sandals, off to another mission, no doubt. (_you never spend time with me anymore._)

A smile reaches his brother's face, and he flicks Sasuke's forehead. He flinches as his small hands go to his head, mustering a glare.

"Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe next time."

He huffs and watches the back of the person he admires so much, walking out of their home (_successful and strong and smart_). Leaving him behind (_failing and weak and stupid_).

(_you always say that._)

When the door closes, he turns on the soles of his feet and stalks back to his room, determined to study until he was smarter than Itachi.

Let's see how he'll like it when he finds his nail polish gone!

_

* * *

_

the second mistake: gluttony.

"Seconds!" At the age of seven, Sasuke demands more food to sate his growing body.

His mother (_beautiful, loving, perfect_) smiles warmly and fills his bowl again with rice.

Itachi (_quiet, intelligent, caring_) glances at him and says nothing, but his father (_harsh, stern, respected_) grunts once, showing his displeasure at his sudden outburst.

Sasuke shrinks back.

(_he always catches me at my worst moments._)

He stands on the dock of their small pond, forming the hand seals slowly. Then his fingers reach his lips and he blows, resulting in a small ball of fire.

Again.

A small ball of fire.

Again.

A little bigger—but still tiny when beside Itachi's and his father's.

(_still not good enough. again and again until it's the biggest they've ever seen!_)

His lips are decorated with burns when he goes to bed that night. His hands are sore and the flames are still dancing behind his eyelids when he closes his eyes.

Still not good enough.

Seals form with familiarity and agility—"Katon: Gougyaku no Jutsu!" shouted in his (_weak, desperate, little_) voice—and he brings his hand to his mouth and exhales as hard as he can, resulting in the biggest fireball yet.

One week later, Sasuke smiles widely when his father finally acknowledges him.

(_i'm definitely getting stronger._)

_

* * *

_

the third mistake: wrath.

His parents' bodies on the floor (_bloody, limp, lifeless_). Fear welling up in his stomach, all hunger suddenly gone. A man standing in the room, his eyes reflecting blood.

Sasuke stumbles back, falling down in the progress. "D-Don't…Don't kill me!" (_still failing, still weak, still stupid._)

His mother (_beautifullovingcaring_), gone. His father (_harshsternrespected_), no more. Itachi—where is Itachi? Maybe dead. Maybe he had passed his body on his frantic run here.

Itachi. (_quietintelligentcaring._)

He stares frightfully at the murderer before him, crimson eyes staring. Crimson eyes. Sharingan.

Killer. (_silentrelentlessunforgiving._) Killer. (_stealthyclevershinobi._) Killer. (_uchihabrother__itachi__._)

He runs.

Five years later, Sasuke graduates from the academy and is placed in a team with Uzumaki Naruto (_loud, blundering, obnoxious_) and Haruno Sakura (_feeble, useless, annoying_).

And now he is the one who is successful and strong and smart.

(_at least, enough to kill that man._)

_

* * *

_

the fourth mistake: pride.

The lightening crackles in his palm, barely even marking his skin. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, remembering all of the years he had strived for.

He had come far.

His hand plunges into the man's chest. (_finally, finally, finally._)

As his opponent falls to the ground, their eyes meet, telling tales of bloodshed and anguish. His cracked lips part to say something, and Sasuke barely hears him.

"Foolish little brother…"

He does not really recall having had an older brother. Maybe this man had a name, once—but it holds no significance anymore, because he is bloody, limp, and lifeless.

(_just like my parents were. i made him pay._)

He looks around the empty, barren land, and then back at the body at his feet.

(_my revenge is complete. i am proud._)

_

* * *

_

the fifth mistake: sloth.

And suddenly, he feels so tired.

Everything around him unexpectedly slows down, and he wonders where he is, and why he is here.

But most of all, why it all feels so desolate.

(_i completed my mission. it doesn't matter what happens to me now._)

He looks down at his hands (_cut, bloody, shaking_), and then up at the sky (_blue, peaceful, lazy_). Blue, like a pair of eyes he might have seen once, buried deep in the depths of his memories…

And he stares off into the distance, a fleeting thought passing through his mind, questioning where he goes now.

Standing on the horizon are trees (_healthy, sturdy, green_). Green, like desperation and hope and somehow _tears_ that he doesn't know the origin of.

And suddenly, he wants to return to this blue and green.

He is tired—so, so tired—but he finds the strength to begin the long walk back.

(_back to where?_)

Back to where they are.

Back home.

_

* * *

_

the sixth mistake: lust.

When he returns, he almost assumes that they are other people.

Uzumaki Naruto (_grinning, ecstatic, mature_) is ready to become the Rokudaime. Haruno Sakura (_strong, fierce, independent_) is the second best medic in all of the shinobi nations.

And suddenly, he feels left behind again.

(_since when did they become such extraordinary people?_)

He watches their smiling faces—even Kakashi, the man who unrightfully stole the Sharingan—as they chorus together, "Welcome back, Sasuke."

(_is this what a family feels like?_)

So he decides to repay them with the most emotion he is able to muster up from his black, shriveled heart.

"Hn."

Six months later, he begins to pursue Sakura.

(_i will have her. she will bear my children and help me revive my clan._)

She seems oblivious. Sasuke concludes that she has changed since the old days. And he decides that maybe, he has changed, too.

(_when time moves and fate progresses, we cannot do anything but follow._)

So one day, he decides to stop the hints (_"your forehead is very wide", "you have enough strength to crush all of us in one blow", "ino is the only one prettier than you"_). He grabs her by her hair (_soft, short, symbolic_), forcibly turning her head towards him and kissing her.

And she does not kiss him back.

He pulls away, knowing that his eyes show nothing.

"Just wait until Naruto finds out what you've done." She smiles, turning fully to face him. "He'll be furious."

His brow knits together, ticked off that she would even mention that dobe who he still has to see every day, even though he coops himself up inside his office all the time, just because his face is carved into the cliff of their village.

(_you're supposed to be happy that i kissed you. you would've been years ago._)

And then he remembers.

When time moves and fate progresses, he cannot do anything but follow.

He turns away indignantly. "You're annoying."

(_i'll have to find another successor. but she was my first choice._)

"You're annoying, too."

He takes him a long moment to realize that she is joking.

_

* * *

_

the final mistake: greed.

"Seconds." At the age of twenty-one, Sasuke demands more food just to bother Naruto, because dinner is on him tonight.

But surprisingly, the blonde does not complain.

Another bowl of ramen (_hot, steaming, reminiscent_) is placed in front of him, and he begins to eat again.

Kakashi (_quiet, accepting, glad_) glances at him before he returns to his meal, face hidden by the bright orange shield of Icha Icha. Sakura (_warm, caring, bold_) smiles at him, and his lips are tempted to curve upwards in a smile—but he does not know how to do it, so they remain in their permanent little frown.

He watches Naruto (_bright, determined, __brother_), and cerulean eyes meet his own dark ones.

"What are you looking at, teme?"

(_why are they still here with me?_)

Uchiha Sasuke (_dark, grateful, undeserving_) straightens up in his seat and subconsciously grunts as he returns his meal. "Not you, dobe."

And somewhere in the very bottom of his black, withered heart that was beginning to grow again, he thanks them.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **This was intended to be a SasuSaku at first, but I guess it took a different turn. Man, it basically wrote itself.

I have to say, this is a little abstract compared to my other works. The usage of underline is rare, and most of the time I don't even _like_ it—but this time, I thought it was necessary.

And yes, each mistake was one of the seven deadly sins.


End file.
